Andrés Couve

Andrés Oscar Couve Correa (born 23 October 1968) is a Chilean biologist, neuroscientist, academic and former government minister. He served as the first Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation from December 2018 to March 2022 under President Sebastián Piñera. He is a professor at the University of Chile.

Early life and education

Couve was born in Santiago, Chile, on 23 October 1968.

From 1986 to 1991, he studied biological sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. He subsequently pursued doctoral studies in cell biology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City from 1992 to 1997. From 1997 to 2003, he conducted postdoctoral research at University College London (UCL).

After returning to Chile, Couve developed his academic career at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chile. He has been a full professor in its Department of Neuroscience since 2012.

His research has focused on the cell biology of the nervous system, particularly intracellular protein trafficking in neurons, the organisation of the endoplasmic reticulum, and molecular mechanisms involved in neuronal function.

Academic and scientific career

In 2010, Couve was involved in the establishment of the Biomedical Neuroscience Institute (Instituto de Neurociencia Biomédica, BNI), a Millennium Science Initiative research institute. He served as its director from 2010 to 2018.

The institute brought together research groups from different areas of neuroscience, combining basic research with studies of neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Couve served as president of the Chilean Society for Cell Biology (Sociedad de Biología Celular de Chile) from 2015 to 2016. He was also a member of the board of the Fundación Puerto de Ideas from 2016 to 2018.

In 2015, he was a member of the presidential commission Ciencia para el Desarrollo de Chile, established during the second administration of President Michelle Bachelet to formulate proposals concerning the development of science and innovation policy in Chile.

In 2017, Couve received the Andrés Concha Award from the Chilean industrial federation SOFOFA for his work in strengthening links between scientific research and industry.

Minister of Science

On 17 December 2018, President Sebastián Piñera appointed Couve as Chile's first Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation. The ministry had been established by legislation enacted earlier that year.

As the ministry's first officeholder, Couve oversaw part of the implementation of the new institutional framework for science, technology and innovation, including the incorporation of existing public research and science-funding bodies into the new structure.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile, Couve was a member of the government's Mesa Social COVID-19. The Ministry of Science participated in coordinating scientific advice and initiatives concerning diagnostic capacity and the availability of scientific data for the response to the pandemic.

The ministry also coordinated scientific advice for Chilean climate policy, including through a scientific advisory committee on climate change.

Couve remained in office until the end of Piñera's second administration on 11 March 2022. He was succeeded by immunologist Flavio Salazar following the inauguration of President Gabriel Boric.

Later career

After leaving government, Couve returned to academia. In addition to his position in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Chile's Faculty of Medicine, he became a professor at the university's Faculty of Government in 2022.

He has also been involved in scientific and technology-policy advisory work.

In 2024, Couve published the book La liebre y el compás through Paidós. The book discusses the relationship between scientific knowledge, intuition and technology, as well as the role of science in society.

Research

Couve's research has focused on the relationship between neuronal structure and function. His work has examined the synthesis, intracellular trafficking and distribution of membrane proteins in neurons.

One focus of his research has been the endoplasmic reticulum in axons and dendrites and its role in neuronal protein trafficking. His research has also examined the regulation of neurotransmitter receptors and voltage-gated ion channels, as well as neuronal plasticity.

Couve has additionally participated in research concerning adult neurogenesis and molecular mechanisms associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

Selected publications

• Carolina González, Víctor Hugo Cornejo and Andrés Couve. "Golgi bypass for local delivery of axonal proteins, fact or fiction?" Current Opinion in Cell Biology. 53: 9–14. 2018. .
• Alejandro Luarte, Víctor Hugo Cornejo, Francisca Bertin, Javiera Gallardo and Andrés Couve. "The axonal endoplasmic reticulum: One organelle—many functions in development, maintenance, and plasticity." Developmental Neurobiology. 78 (3): 181–208. 2018. .
• Andrés Couve, Felipe A. Court, Eduardo Couve, Javiera Fresno, José Cánovas and Carolina González. "Axons provide the secretory machinery for trafficking of voltage-gated sodium channels in peripheral nerve." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 113 (7): 1823–1828. 2016. .
• Omar A. Ramírez and Andrés Couve. "The endoplasmic reticulum and protein trafficking in dendrites and axons." Trends in Cell Biology. 21 (4): 219–227. 2011. .

Books

External links

• Andrés Couve at the University of Chile